Sleeping Position?

Question

I am 21 weeks and I try to sleep on my side, but most of the time I wind up on my back by morning. I have tried putting pillows behind me so I won't roll over, but I wind up on my back anyway. Every once in awhile I wake on my stomach, but I don't have much of a belly yet, so I am not worried. Any suggestions? How detrimental is it to sleep on your back? I recently heard that it is an old wives tale.

21 weeks year old? No, 21 weeks pregnant, 23 years old.... asking because I am worried.

Answer 1

It is a wives tale. And a medical misconception. I asked around recently because iam an advid back sleeper and keep waking on my back.

ITs best to sleep on your sides. But all the doctors and midwives i asked said the same thing. Its not harmful. If you wake up on your back, roll to your side.

People will say there is an artery there and the baby can breathe if you're pinching it. Blah blah. Its not true. Its the main artery your legs and lower body use as well. You'd also notice you're not getting enough blood, and roll over. The heavier you get, the more you notice it.

They also say you damage your kidneys laying on your back. its true they can get sore from it, but it makes you roll over, lol.

Even tummy sleeping is okay. The baby is totally portected.

While laying on your sides does make it easier to avoid hearburn, and get enough deep breaths for yourself, its not going to hurt you or the baby if you sleep on your back or belly.

If it bothers you that you're on your back, roll over whenever you realize it.

People wouldnt have babies that lived if sleeping on your back was detrimental. lol. no one even know sleeping on your back was bad until modern medicine bred that misconception.

Answer 2

You are fine for now. As long as you don't feel any pain or other discomforts. I'd say sleep however you feel most comfortable. Be grateful for sleep now while you can get it, it won't be like this in a couple mths. Wait til you get that belly abouth 7 1/2 to month 8, then you will be grateful to just get some sleep. SERIOUSLY though, there are blood vessels in the back that doctor's don't want you laying on, especially after 20 weeks. It is called the inferior vena cava and the aorta, both carry blood to and from the heart. If both become compressed you could lose consciousness, or experience tingling or numbness in your upper or lower extremities. If you can't help sleeping on your back you should be propped up, with your head elevated a bit. Be careful, and all the best. Listen to the doctor, don't want to hurt yourself or the unborn baby, it's not an old wives tale.

Answer 3

If you end up on your back or belly, no harm done...just roll backover.......The reason you should not lay on your back becasue the weight of the uterus pushes against arteries and restricts blood flow to your brain and to baby.... you may get dizzy or light headed flat on your back as the pregnancy pprogresses. Try laying on your left side with your head on a pillow with your left arm under the pillow. Put another pillow by your knees and cross your right leg over your left and rest t on the pillow. This gives the maximun blood flow to baby......Go get a book called " what to expect when you are expecting" by Heidi Murkoff. It's the pregnancy bible and will help with all these questions. Your question as well as many others that you would not expect is in there. It's excellent in describing all of these little things that worry moms and help distinguish when something is "normal" or not.
Good Luck!

Answer 4

my doctor told me that my body will let me know when it shouldn't be in a certain position. but to reinforce that comment:

"Finding a Good Sleeping Position
Early in your pregnancy, try to get into the habit of sleeping on your side. Lying on your side with your knees bent is likely to be the most comfortable position as your pregnancy progresses. It also makes your heart's job easier because it keeps the baby's weight from applying pressure to the large vein (called the inferior vena cava) that carries blood back to the heart from your feet and legs.

Some doctors specifically recommend that pregnant women sleep on the left side. Because your liver is on the right side of your abdomen, lying on your left side helps keep the uterus off that large organ. Ask what your doctor recommends - in most cases, lying on either side should do the trick and help take some pressure off your back.

But don't drive yourself crazy worrying that you might roll over onto your back during the night. Shifting positions is a natural part of sleeping that you can't control. Most likely, during the third trimester of your pregnancy, your body won't shift into the back-sleeping position anyway because it will be too uncomfortable.

If you do shift onto your back and the baby's weight presses on your inferior vena cava, the discomfort will probably wake you up."

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THIS AT :
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/pregnancy/sleep_during_pregnancy.html

Answer 5

I would advise you to sleep on your left side during pregnancy as i did. Here are the reasons why.....

Q Why is it better to sleep on your left side when pregnant?

A The answer to this question lies in the anatomy of the abdomen, which has to harbor the ever-increasing uterus as the baby grows. The Vena Cava is the main vein that drains the entire lower half of the body. Anatomically, it lies just to the right of the midline--just on the right side of your spine. As the baby gets bigger, certainly the heavier uterus, lying flat on the Vena Cava will (like stepping on a garden hose) obstruct flow up towards the heart. The drainage of the lower half of the body becomes sluggish, which not only increases the swelling of your ankles, feet, and legs, but will also impact on hemorrhoids as well. And decreased return of blood flow to the heart will cause hypotension (lowered blood pressure) down the line and resulting diminished arterial blood flow to the uterus, placenta, and baby.
Sometimes this hypotension is evident when a woman has an ultrasound, during which she lies flat. One of the symptoms of hypotension is nausea that will accompany the light-headedness. In answer to your question, lying on the back is the worst ossible position in the third trimester. Lying on the right side is better than lying on your back, but lying on your left side is the best of all, because this is the position which will have the least amount of weight upon the Vena Cava


If you follow the recomendation of sleeping on your left side you wont have to question the safety of you or your baby. You will not have to worry, build up anxiety or wonder if you have done anything wrong however, If you do position yourself on your back during your sleep dont freak out but do position yourself with a body pillow in front and behind you. I did this and it worked with both of them in position.

Answer 6

I am 35 weeks pregnant and I have the same problem with waking up on my back all of the time. I have put the pillows back there and everything. I just find its more comfortable to me. However, I talked to my doc. about it and he said that as long as I rolled over when I woke up its no big deal. I have had check-up after check-up and nothing is wrong with me or my baby. Congrats on your pregnancy!

Answer 7

I read in a book that it is very common to wake up and find yourslef laying on your back at this stage of pregnancy, and it should be normal and it is ok, you won't hurt the baby or yourself as long as you move when you find yourself on your back. As you get bigger you will find it more difficult to sleep on your back, your belly will just not let you so even when you are fully asleep your belly won't let you move. Don't worry you and your baby are fine.

Answer 8

I'm 18 weeks pregnant . . and I sleep on my side with a pillow under me, so that way if I roll, it won't hurt as much . . . I lay on the couch up against the back of the couch, so that way I pretty much stay on my side all night . .

Answer 9

Unless you have a high-risk pregnancy, there is no specific position that is better for sleep than another. I suggest just getting the sleep you need because after you give birth, you'll be up five times a night, and tired from the delivery!

Answer 10

I am a plus size woman and I slept on my stomach through my whole pregnancy. It's just not comfortable for me to sleep on my back. My doctor never asked me how I sleep either so I guess it's not very important. My daughter is a very healthy, vivacious 2 yr old now.